Sound-reproducing apparatus.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTO APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1903.

J WELLNER SOUND REPRODUGING APPARATUS.

N0 MODEL WITNESSES.- W $2? A.

PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

J. WELLNER.

SOUND REPRODUGING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG-14, 1903.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

IWRKR WITNESSES Patented August 2, 1904.

FFICE.

JULIUS IVELLNER, ()F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SOUND-REPRODUCING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,561, dated August 2, 1904.

To I! wit/mt if may concern:

Be it known that I, .IULIUs \VELLNER, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-Reproducing Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sound-reproducing apparatus equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partially in section, of the portion of the apparatus equipped with the invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. A is an enlarged detail of the outer end of the stylus-lever, showing the clutch for retaining the stylus therein. Fig. 5 is a section on line ,I' .1 Fig. I.

This invention relates to improvements in sound-reproducing machines.

The invention consists in providing a novel and etiicient means whereby the stylus may be automatically ejected from its position in the apparatus when the soundbox is returned to the starting position after having reproduced a record.

The invention also consists in providing means whereby a new stylus may be inserted into the apparatus to take the place of the ejected stylus after the sound-box has been returned to the starting position.

The invention further consists of certain details of construction hereinafter described.

In the drawings 1 have illustrated a wellknown type of sound-reproducing machine to which my invention may he applied similar to that shown in United States Letters Patent No. 73%,206, issued to me July 21, 1903, but have omitted many parts that are well known and not necessary to an understanding of my present invention.

In said drawings, 1 is the frame of the apparatus, in which is journaled the usual record-carrying shaft 2, adapted to be rotated from a suitable source of power in any wellknown manner. On said shaft is mounted The Application filed August 14, 1903. Serial No. 169,425. (N0 modelsound-box 6 is mounted in a support or standard T in such manner that it will be radially movable into and out of operative position with reference to the record-disk and also rotatable on its own axis similarly to the soundbox illustrated in said patent or in any other well-known manner. The sound-box,as usual, comprises a tube 8, having secured to its outer end the frame 9, carrying the diaphragm 10 and the stylus-lever 11, pivoted to said frame and connected at its inner end to the diaphragm.

The outer end of the stylus-lever is provided with a hole or recess 12, into which is adapted to be inserted and retained a stylus 13. Said hole 12 is made of somewhat larger diameter than the stylus, as seen in Fig. 5, for a purpose hereinafter appearing. Carried by the stylus-lever is a rod 14:, which passes through a transverse hole in the styluslever and intersects the hole 12, into which the stylus is inserted. Said rod let is pro vided with a triangular notch 15, Fig. 5, one edge of which is adapted to engage the periphery of the stylus in the hole 12 and by the stress of a spring 16 on said rod to press the stylus against the opposite side of the said hole, and so to frictionally hold the stylus in place.

The outer or free end of the rod 1A is provided with a head 17, between which and the side of the stylus-lever said spring 16 is adapted to bear.

After the stylus has traversed the rotary groove of the record-disk it is disengaged from the record-disk and the sound-box is moved radially outward to the inoperative position. This may be done either manually or by suitable mechanisnr such, for example, as that shown in my previous patent hereinbefore referred to. As the sound-box reaches the limit of its outward movement the head 17 of rod 11 impinges against a suitable stop It), and thereby said rod is pushed slightly inwardly, causing the notch thereof to register with the hole 12, and so to free the stylus, which is thereupon free to drop from the hole or may be ejected by a spring-controlled plate or disk 20 within the upper part of the hole 12.

In order that the said notch 15 shall continue to register with said hole until a new stylus has been inserted therein, I usuallyprovide a means for retaining the rod lt in such position. In this instance the following device is employed: Secured to and projecting from the side of the stylus-lever is a spring-dog 21,

whose free end is adapted (when pressed inwardly to the position where its notch registers with said hole 12) to engage a depression or groove 22 in said rod, thus locking the latter in such position until said spring-dog is released from engagement with said groove.

The spring 16 on rod 14 would usually be of such resistance that when the sound-box is retracted to the starting position after having completed a record the head 17, coming against the stop 19, would cause the rod to be pushed forward with a slight bump, causing the groove to be brought into registry with said springdog, which of course immediately engages the same and looks it in that position; but when said spring-dog is released from the groove and the parts seek equilibrium the. said spring will press the rod backwardly to cause the side {)f 1the notch to bind and hold the stylus in the The stop 19 is made yielding in order to permit the ejection of the stylus 13 just before the sound-box -6 reaches the limit of its outward movement.

As a convenient means for inserting a new stylus into the hole 12 after the ejection of the old one I provide the following construction: Mounted on the frame of the apparatus is a hopper or magazine 23, adapted to contain a number of styluses 24, as seen in Fig. 2. The latter lie therein in such position that the lower one thereof is in axial alinement with an exit-opening 25 of the magazine and also with the hole 12 when the stylus-lever occupies its outermost position. In line with and in front of the lowermost stylus in said magazine is a spring-controlled plunger 26, havinga suitable handle or head 27. By pressing the plunger inwardly by hand a stylus is caused to be projected into the hole 12 against the stress of the spring-controlled plate 20 to its position in said hole, and at the same time the spring-dog 21 is released from engagement with the groove, thus causing the rod 14: to be retracted by its spring and engage said stylus, as above described. As a ready means for effecting this release of the said spring dog I provide the plunger 26 with an arm 28, that is adapted (at or after the moment the stylus has reached its position in hole 12) to engage the under side of said spring-dog and elevate its engaging end from said groove.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise means for releasably securing the stylus in the stylus-lever, as other automatically-released clutches may be used without departing from the essence of the invention, nor do I wish to be understood as being limited to any particular means for inserting the stylus into its position.

I claim 1. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the

' and out of operative position, of a clutch device carried by said support and adapted to engage and retain said stylus, and means for automatically operating said clutch device to release the stylus when said support is moved to the inoperative position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination with the rotary grooved record, the stylus, and stylus-support movable into and out of operative position, of a clutch device carried by said support and adapted to engage and retain said stylus, means for antomatically operating said clutch device to release the stylus when said support is moved to the inoperativeposition, and means for discharging the stylus from said support when released by said clutch device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination of a rotary grooved record, the sound-box provided with the diaphragm, stylus-lever and stylus, the latter adapted to engage and traverse the groove in said record, said sound-box being adapted to be returned to a predetermined non-engaging position, a clutch device at the free end of said styluslever adapted to receive and temporarily retain said stylus, together with means for antomatically releasing said clutch device and thereby permitting the discharge of the stylus, when said sound-box is retracted to said non-engaging position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination of a rotary grooved record, a

sound-box provided with a diaphragm, sty- IIO rod intersecting said hole and provided with soundbo.\' is retracted to said non-engaging position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination of a rotary grooved record, a sound-box provided with a diaphragm, styluslever and stylus, the latter adapted to engage and traverse the groove in said record. said sound-box being adapted to be returned to a predetermined non-engaging position,a clutch device on said stylus-lever adapted to receive and teimJorarily retain said stylus, means for automatically releasing said clutch device and permitting the discharge of the stylus when said sound-box is retracted to said non-engaging position, together with means for inserting a stylus into said grasp of the clutch device when said device is released, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

T. In a soLind-reproducing apparatus, the combination of a rotary grooved record, a sound-box provided with a diaphragm, styluslever and stylus, the latter adapted to engage and traverse the groove in said record, said sound-box being adapted to be returned to a predetermined non-engaging position,a clutch device on said stylus-lever adapted to receive and temporarily retain said stylus, means for automatically releasing said clutch device and permitting the discharge of the stylus when said sound-box is retracted to the said nonengaging position, together with the magazine having the exit-opening in alincment with said clutch device, and the push-rod for projecting a stylus from said magazine into position to be gripped by said clutch device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination of a rotary grooved record, a sound-box provided with a diaphragm, styluslever and stylus, the latter adapted to engage and traverse the groove in said record, said sound-box being adapted to be returned to a predetermined non-engaging position,a clutch device on said stylus-lever adapted to receive and temporarily retain said stylus, means for automatically releasing said clutch device and permitting the discharge of the stylus when said sound-box is retracted to said non-engaging position. and means to automatically lock said clutch in said released position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination of a rotary grooved record, a sound-box provided with a diaphragm, styluslcver and stylus, the latter adapted to engage and traverse the groove in said record, said sound-box being adapted to be returned to a predetermined non-engaging position, a clutch device on said stylus-levt-zr adapted to receive and temporarily retain said stylus, means for automatically releasing said clutch device and permitting the discharge of the stylus when said sound-box is retracted to said non-engaging position, and means to automatically loch said clutch in said released position, together with means adapted to be operated to insert a stylus into said clutch device while the same is in the released position, and means for unlocking said clutch device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

It). In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination of a rotary grooved record, a sound-box provided with a diaphragm, stylus and stylus-lever, the former adapted to engage and traverse the groove in said record, said sound-box being adapted to be returned to a predetermined non-engagingposition, the outer end of the stylus-lever being provided with a hole to receive said stylus and of slightly-larger diameter than the latter, the spring-controlled rod carried by said styluslever and intersecting said hole and provided with the notch adapted to engage said stylus and press the same against the wall of said hole, means for automatically engaging said rod and causing the same to be retracted to release the stylus when the sound-box is in the non-engaging position. and means for locking said rod in said releasing position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

11. In a sourid-reproducing apparatus, the combination of a rotary grooved record, a sound-box provided with a diaphragm, styluslever and stylus, the latter adapted to engage and traverse the groove in said record, said sound-box being adapted to be returned to a predetermined non-engaging position, the outer end of the stylus-lever being provided with a hole to receive said stylus and of slightly-larger diameter than the latter, the spring-controlled rod carried by said styluslever and intersecting said hole and provided with a notch adapted to engage said stylus and press the same against the wall of said hole, means for automatically engaging said rod and causing the same to be retracted to release the stylus when the sound-box is in the non-engaging position, and means for locking said rod in said releasing position, together with means adapted to be operated to insert a stylus into said clutch device while said rod is retracted and means for unlocking said rod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination with the rotary grooved record, the stylus,and the stylus support movable into and out of operative position, of a stationary support, a stylus-magazine thereon and arranged adjacent to the stylus-support when the latter is out of operative position, and means adapted to be operated to move a stylus from the magazine and into the stylus-sup 'mrt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In a sound-reproducing apparatus, the combination with the rotary grooved record, the stylus, and the stylus-support movable into and out of operative position, of a stationary support, a stylus-magazine thereon and ar- In testimony whereof I have hereunto afranged adjacent to the stylus-support when fixed my signature this 13th day. of August,' the latter is out of operative position, and a A. D. 1903.

reciprocative plunger adapted to be operated JULIUS M ELLNER. 5 to move a stylus from the magazine and into Witnesses:

the stylus-support, substantially as and for WVALTER C. PUsEY,

the purpose set forth. W. W. CANBY. 

